George Bernard Shaw entitles his play Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts. Is Pygmalion really a romance? Or is it a comedy? Shaw suggests the play is about language, while many critics interpret it as a satire with a socialist message. Consider the characteristics of romances, comedies, and satires, and cite specific evidence from the play to support your answer. Argue for one of these interpretations.
Pygmalion could be categorized in quite a few ways in terms of genre, as it fits the characteristics of romances, comedies, and satires... or does it? Certainly the argument could be made for all three, but which one stands tall as the prevailing genre, true to both characteristics and the author's intent.
Was it Shaw's intent to portray Pygmalion as a romance play? The original myth is certainly romantic, but does the play hold as true to the myth as that? Of course, it is not uncommon for a work based on a predecessor to change its style, theme, and genre in the name of artistic liberties. Taking that into consideration, the largest argument against Pygmalion's being a romantic play is the fact that Pygmalion does not only center around something other than the specific relationship between Eliza and Higgins, but it also has no definitive ending between them, and the audience is forced to make their own conclusions as to what happened with them.
Comedies, on then other hand, depict a lighthearted nature, and the mood portrayed and the theme set generally leaves the audience in a happier state. Pygmalion does not exactly have the happiest of endings, even if no main characters commit suicide due to intolerable grief. Of course, many of the lines in Pygmalion are certainly enjoyable, especially when the character of the speaker of these lines is put into perspective. Higgins' offensive manner is often laughable, and Eliza's horrible cacophonies make light of what could otherwise be taken on for a more serious tone.
What this brings us to, then, is the genre of satire. This is the most clear prospect for the play of Pygmalion, and it could easily be stated that Shaw wrote this play solely for the purpose of being satirical, and simply used the old Greek myth as a basis for his story and plot. All of the main characters' mannerisms, point of views, and stereotypical characteristics paint quite the cynical view on London during the turn of the century, and even that does not call into question Alfred Doolittle, and his entire purpose of throwing in more pivotal satire into the tale. Clearly, Shaw intended this tale to be satirical, and threw in comedy with a mix of romance in the interest of holding an entertaining value for his audience.
Pygmalion could be categorized in quite a few ways in terms of genre, as it fits the characteristics of romances, comedies, and satires... or does it? Certainly the argument could be made for all three, but which one stands tall as the prevailing genre, true to both characteristics and the author's intent.
Was it Shaw's intent to portray Pygmalion as a romance play? The original myth is certainly romantic, but does the play hold as true to the myth as that? Of course, it is not uncommon for a work based on a predecessor to change its style, theme, and genre in the name of artistic liberties. Taking that into consideration, the largest argument against Pygmalion's being a romantic play is the fact that Pygmalion does not only center around something other than the specific relationship between Eliza and Higgins, but it also has no definitive ending between them, and the audience is forced to make their own conclusions as to what happened with them.
Comedies, on then other hand, depict a lighthearted nature, and the mood portrayed and the theme set generally leaves the audience in a happier state. Pygmalion does not exactly have the happiest of endings, even if no main characters commit suicide due to intolerable grief. Of course, many of the lines in Pygmalion are certainly enjoyable, especially when the character of the speaker of these lines is put into perspective. Higgins' offensive manner is often laughable, and Eliza's horrible cacophonies make light of what could otherwise be taken on for a more serious tone.
What this brings us to, then, is the genre of satire. This is the most clear prospect for the play of Pygmalion, and it could easily be stated that Shaw wrote this play solely for the purpose of being satirical, and simply used the old Greek myth as a basis for his story and plot. All of the main characters' mannerisms, point of views, and stereotypical characteristics paint quite the cynical view on London during the turn of the century, and even that does not call into question Alfred Doolittle, and his entire purpose of throwing in more pivotal satire into the tale. Clearly, Shaw intended this tale to be satirical, and threw in comedy with a mix of romance in the interest of holding an entertaining value for his audience.